The 2024 Paris Olympics is currently in full swing, with the U.S. team achieving impressive medal results, breaking records, and surpassing the milestone of 3,000 total medals, becoming the first country in Olympic history to reach this milestone.
Before the Paris Summer Olympics, the United States had accumulated a total of 2,975 medals from past Summer and Winter Olympics, according to the Olympic Cultural Heritage Foundation.
On Tuesday, July 30th, the U.S. team won their 26th medal at the Paris Olympics, surpassing the 3,000-medal mark. Team USA posted on their platform that they had won 3,000 medals and stated that no other country could match the U.S. in this achievement.
The historic performance of the U.S. team in the swimming events at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday contributed to this record, with the team winning a total of four medals. Regan Smith won the silver medal in the women’s 100m backstroke, while her teammate Katharine Berkoff took home the bronze. Australian swimmer Kaylee McKeown successfully defended her Olympic title, setting a new record of 57.33 seconds.
Berkoff’s bronze medal was the one that helped the U.S. team reach the milestone of 3,000 medals and marked the 600th Olympic medal won by American swimmers.
So far, the United States has won a total of 26 medals, including 4 gold, 11 silver, and 11 bronze medals. Many of the American team’s medals at the Paris Olympics come from swimming events. As of now, the U.S. has earned 15 swimming medals, 3 fencing medals, 2 gymnastics medals, 2 cycling medals, 2 skateboarding medals, 1 diving medal, and 1 rugby medal.
Before the end of the Paris Olympics on August 11th, the U.S. team still has more opportunities to win medals.
The Olympic Foundation calculates the number of medals for each event regardless of the number of participating athletes. The medal count also does not include medals won in artistic competitions or performance events. Before the Paris Olympics, the foundation stated that after the U.S. on the medal tally, the former Soviet Union had a total of 1,204 medals, with Germany following with 1,058 medals.
Before its dissolution in 1991, the Soviet Union, including countries like Ukraine, Armenia, and Georgia, which now participate in the Olympics as independent nations.
The United States is also the country with the most gold medals in Olympic history, but as of this year, the U.S. team is not leading in the gold medal tally.
According to the Olympic Foundation, before the start of the Paris Olympics, the U.S. had won a total of 1,179 gold medals. The Soviet Union followed with 473 gold medals, and Germany was in third place with 342 gold medals before the start of the Paris Olympics.